As children head back to school, many adults are returning to their regular routines, leaving local animal shelters with fewer volunteers at a time when they need them most.
At Sacramento's Front Street Animal Shelter, the need is especially urgent for kittens. The shelter currently has about 600 kittens in foster care, with roughly 50 more arriving each day.
For longtime foster volunteer Lesa Saville, caring for kittens has become a way of life. She has fostered cats about 200 times and enjoys helping new foster parents learn the ropes.
Saville began fostering for Front Street after becoming an empty nester. What started as a way to help animals quickly filled that empty space in her home.
"It's like, for that one person you're gonna save a life and give that person a cat," Saville said.
The shelter says foster volunteers are particularly important during peak kitten season.
"Volunteers are so essential during peak season," said Sofia Ruelas, a Front Street staff member. "Now we have 600 kittens in foster care and have about 50 coming in daily, so urgent placement is needed to get ready for adoption."
Animals younger than 8 weeks old cannot stay at the shelter and instead need foster homes where they can be fed, cared for and socialized until they are old enough for adoption.
New foster volunteers receive training on everything from basic animal care to bottle-feeding, with experienced foster parents such as Saville helping guide them through the process.
The shelter provides the supplies volunteers need, although caring for young kittens can be messy and time-consuming.
For Saville, the work is worth it.
"They need us so much. But you love these animals with unconditional love. They need us. You know, without us they wouldn't survive," she said.
Saville said her job is simple: "You feed them and love them until it's time to adopt them."
Front Street says no previous experience is required to become a foster volunteer. Training is free, and volunteers complete a training session before taking animals into their homes.
For Information on Front Street Animal Shelter Volunteering and foster training, check out their Shelter Volunteer Page. Foster care can be done for dogs and cats.
For people who cannot foster, the shelter also needs donations of food and blankets. Another option is Front Street's Doggie Day Out program, which allows volunteers to take a shelter dog out for the day without committing to long-term foster care.
Many adoptable dogs and cats are currently at the shelter waiting for homes and help. Front Street Animal Shelter is located at 2127 Front Street in Sacramento.
The Sacramento SPCA is also looking for volunteers to help care for animals and support shelter operations.
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